Teacher Profile: Martin Sippy

About Martin Sippy

Martin started playing violin at age 9 and quickly found that he loved to play any stringed instrument he could get his hands on--including a sanxian (3-stringed Chinese lute) he picked up and performed on during a recent trip to China. He says, "Ever since I played my orchestra challenge piece for my grandma--who beamed throughout with tears in her eyes--I knew that I forever wanted to touch people with music. Music sort of reached out that day and chose me."

Martin used his morning paper route money to pay for violin and guitar lessons in the sixth grade and started playing in concerts, for weddings, community musicals, and, finally, in his traveling high school glee choir before heading off to Concordia University to Major in Music. At college he formed and directed many performing groups, played lead guitar in the University Jazz Band, and again hit the road to travel as a multi instrumentalist playing in over 250 concerts with the crowning performance being played in Las Vegas for over 5,000 people.

Martin currently serves as the Director of Arts and Music at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Bellevue where he directs the choir, five separate worship teams, and teaches guitar, bass, violin, and popular piano.

When asked, "why do you do what you do?" Martin replies, "Music has opened so many doors for me--it has been the bridge to connect me with people throughout every community I have served and even with people from many different cultures and countries. Music is an awesome gift that creates an instant bond with everyone you meet. I love to share, teach, encourage, and inspire people of all ages with the wonder of music."